Demyansk (russian: Демя́нск) is an
urban locality (a
work settlement) and the
administrative center
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...
of
Demyansky District
Demyansky District (russian: Демянский район) is an administrativeLaw #559-OZ and municipalLaw #397-OZ district (raion), one of the twenty-one in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is located in the south of the oblast and borders with Kre ...
of
Novgorod Oblast
Novgorod Oblast (russian: Новгоро́дская о́бласть, ''Novgorodskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Veliky Novgorod. Some of the oldest Russian cities, including ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, located along the
Yavon River.
Municipally, it is incorporated as Demyanskoye Urban Settlement, the only urban settlement in the district. Population:
History
Demyansk was first mentioned in a chronicle in 1406 as Demon. The area was a part of
Derevskaya Pyatina of
Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ol ...
.
Demon was a fortress protecting a waterway from Lake Ilmen upstream the Pola and the Yavon to Lake Seliger. The fortress was located close to the boundary between the Novgorod Republic and the
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow, Muscovite Russia, Muscovite Rus' or Grand Principality of Moscow (russian: Великое княжество Московское, Velikoye knyazhestvo Moskovskoye; also known in English simply as Muscovy from the Lati ...
, and it was at least twice sieged by Muscovite troops. In 1441, the Muscovites did not manage to conquer Demon, but in the 1470s they conquered and destroyed the fortress. After the subsequent fall of Novgorod, Demon was transferred to the Grand Duchy of Moscow. In the 17th century, Demon went into decline, and a new settlement was founded nearby, which was known as Demyansky Pogost, and later as Demyansk. In the course of the
administrative reform carried out in 1708 by
Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
, the area was included into Ingermanland Governorate (known since 1710 as
Saint Petersburg Governorate
Saint Petersburg Governorate (russian: Санкт-Петербу́ргская губе́рния, ''Sankt-Peterburgskaya guberniya''), or Government of Saint Petersburg, was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Tsardom of Russia ...
). In 1727, separate
Novgorod Governorate
Novgorod Governorate (Pre-reformed rus, Новгоро́дская губе́рнія, r=Novgorodskaya guberniya, p=ˈnofɡərətskəjə ɡʊˈbʲernʲɪjə, t=Government of Novgorod), was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Ru ...
was split off. Between 1772 and 1824, Demyansk was a part of
Starorussky Uyezd of
Novgorod Viceroyalty
Novgorod Viceroyalty (russian: Новгоро́дское наме́стничество) was an administrative division (a '' namestnichestvo'') of the Russian Empire, which existed in 1776–1796. The seat of the Viceroyalty was located in Novg ...
(since 1796 of Novgorod Governorate). In 1824, it was chartered and became the center of
Demyansky Uyezd, which was split off Starorussky Uyezd.
On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished, and Demyansky District was established, with the center in Demyansk. Demyansk belonged to
Novgorod Okrug
Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ol ...
of
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, a ...
. Effective October 1, 1927 the town of Demyansk was made a ''
selo''. On July 23, 1930 the okrugs were abolished, and the districts became directly subordinate to the oblast. Between September, 1941, and February, 1943 parts of Demyansk District were occupied by German troops. The settlement was a place for the
Battle of Demyansk
The Demyansk Pocket (german: Kessel von Demjansk; russian: Демя́нский котёл) was the name given to the pocket of German troops encircled by the Red Army around Demyansk, south of Leningrad, during World War II's Eastern Front. Th ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in 1942. On July 5, 1944, Demyansky District was transferred to newly established Novgorod Oblast and remained there ever since. On December 28, 1960 Demyansk was granted the urban-type settlement status.
Economy
Industry
The existing enterprises in Demyansk serve timber and food industries.
Transportation
Demyansk is located on the road connecting
Yazhelbitsy and
Staraya Russa
Staraya Russa ( rus, Старая Русса, p=ˈstarəjə ˈrusːə) is a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Polist River, south of Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Its population has steadily decreased o ...
. There are also local roads. There is bus traffic originating from Demyansk.
Culture and recreation
Demyansk contains thirteen objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. These include a number of pre-1917 buildings of the former uyezd center, including a prison, an archaeological monument, and a number of graves of soldiers fallen in World War II.
Demyansk hosts the Demyansky District Museum.
References
Notes
Sources
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{{Use mdy dates, date=August 2012
Urban-type settlements in Novgorod Oblast
Demyansky Uyezd